Beer: Reviews & Ratings

A: The beer is very dark amber in color (near black) and has lacy patterns of bubbles covering the surface. Some yeast particles are visible floating in suspension.S: There are sweet aromas of raisins and other dark fruits in the nose.T: Like the smell, the initial taste is rather sweet and has flavors of dark fruits such as cherries and raisins.M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit thin on the palate. It isn't as thick and full-bodied compared to other types of doppelbocks.D: This beer goes down rather easily because it doesn't have a heavy body. The alcohol is also well masked from the taste. (603 characters)

Appearance: Pours a cloudy cola color with a rather small head (though foam billowed from the lip of the bottle, initially); not much lacing left behind, either

Smell: Dark fruit and caramel, redolent of figs and

Taste: Date and fig flavors, up front, buttressed by caramel and chocolate elements, underneath; the promising flavors flatten out a bit, after the swallow, and fail to follow through in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: Although not a top flight doppelbock, this is a pretty nice example of the style, with some complexity and moderate sweetness

Note: This bottle was the 22oz capped with wax, and though I suspect it may be the same brew as the regular doppelbock, I reviewed it here as it is the Brewmaster's Premium Reserve Series; I have cellared this bottle for several years and it held up rather nicely (863 characters)

A: The beer is a dark reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of roasted malts, dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, lager yeast and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is malty but well-balanced with flavors of dark fruit, caramel and brown sugar up front, but it's not overly sweet. There's a little bit of smokiness that comes in next and further pronounces the roasted malt character. There's a little bit of an alcohol sting and a mild hops presence. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

D: Tasty, goes down easy, not too filling, good kick, nice representation of style, since I never had this beer fresh, it's hard for me to tell what an approximate year and a half of aging has done for this beer. However, overall, it's good beer that is worth sipping for a while. (994 characters)

22 ounce bomber, black and gold theme, waxed/rubbery cap top. Pours dark, murky mahogony, with a 1/2 inch tan head that departs pretty quickly and then leaves just some minor spotty bits of lacing. The nose is full of malt, vanilla, honey and herbal goodness. This is a rich, malty brew, plenty of flavor and character. Notes of more caramel, herbal sweet malts. Just a hint of balancing hops and a hint of smoky bourbon. Nice, bold, flavorful, warming Doppelbock. Well worth a try and MUCH better then the Russ. Impy Stout that is packaged the same way!

I think this might be the same beer as the other Sprecher doppelbock. My bottle looks nothing like the image on this page, I'm just going off what Sprecher's website and my bottle says.

A tasty doppelboch no doubt. A little thicker than the likes of Optimator and smoother. There's also a bit more bitterness (though not much) and a dash of spicy hops flavor at the end of the beer. The rest of this doppel is dominated by the rich, dark, fruity malt. There's the typical licorice edge and that's backed by rich caramel and cherry. (535 characters)

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Julio's, Marlboro, MA. Gold wax sealed cap, with hangtag that further IDs it as the "Brewmaster Premium Reserve".

Poured into a large chalice, formed a 3/8" tan head over the clear burgundy brew. Head fades down at a moderate speed, with minimal, quick-falling lace. Aroma is dark fruits and hearty booze, although lacking a bit of the sweetness I'd look for. Taste is also light on sweetness upfront, quickly transitioning to a quick shot of the dark fruitiness, a hot fusel-type alcohol flavor, and then closing with bitterness coupled with alcohol heat. Mouthfeel and drinkability are not quite what I was looking for or expecting here. It's probably not as bad as this all paints it to be, but many of the Sprecher products I have enjoyed had led me to set the bar high for them. Hopefully this one will do well with some age. (872 characters)

This pours a nice shade of dark brown and settles a lowly inky black with a slight plummy/eggplant cast in certain light. Dawning the top is a large bubbly foam of tannish hue which slips away after a few minutes to a bubbled collar ring and a very light whisp of film. Big globular lacing drips down like chunks of wax.

Aroma is fabulously deep and deceptive with a tender sweet tang of oaky soaked vanilla pods, full dark cherry skins, raisin, molasses, and light figgyness. The darker malt base is evident and quite lovely to behold on the nose and that addition of oak aging has done its magic.

Taste is smooth and ever dark with a well-balanced malty tang and ping, and/or pang on the palate of dark fruity notions that tend to bring out a bit more raisin then the aroma eluded too. Good amounts of raisin paste, duly noted vanilla and molasses hit an even scale of length as its soft, smooth, and easy nature glides down with an immediate girth of dark fruity maltyness. Oaky sweetness and twinged-in red wine-like hints are intertwined among the raisin, dark cherry, and fig. Dark and grapey in a sense, covered quickly in a soft delicate dark blanket of raisin and figified molassesness. Finish is soft and feathery dry, a bit light with a brief but building growth of ever changing notes of chocolate mixing with some of the dark malt sweetness. This has nice flavors that meld well together, however, it comes up a bit low key and under bodied for what it's offering. Seems like it could be a tad bolder and bigger. That said though, I can't complain about it too much, as it is meticuluosly subtle and lovingly smooth. I like the chocolate notes alot in this one. Helps even out the tang a bit in the finish, and more so as it warms.

Overall loftily easy and smooth to the feel, nearly creamy, slight touch of carbonation, if not just the oaky bite and titch of soured wine-ish drying that only lasts a moment before its covered up by its subtle layers of dark malt tang and chocolatey featheryness.

A fun, fun treat by Sprecher! One to share; or hoard. Alot more to like about it then to dislike no doubt, and unholy, if not down right easy to drink. Smooth, soft, subtle and dark (sorry no "s"in that one) and an enlightment of complexity and marksmanship that begs for more...but the big bottle will do ya just fine...seek out and enjoy. (2,364 characters)

A wax dipped, 22 ounce bomber bottle split with brothercannon. Poured into matching mugs, the doppel appears a clear, deep chestnut color with about two fingers of pillowy light ecru foam. Aromas and flavors of dark fruits, dates, raisins, sweet caramelized malt, dark bread, rich toasted grain and a hint of chocolate. Rather thick and nearly full bodied with ample carbonation for the style. Any doppelbock fan should seek this one out. (438 characters)

A. Dark mahogany (yet clear) in color with a half finger of fizzy tan head that lasts for a little more than a minute, leaving no real lacing behind.

S. Figs and raisins on a sweet toffee malt aroma.

T. Sweet malts, dark fruits, brown sugar, a touch of garnish-level smokiness in the finish. No real discernable hopping stands out but that's okay by the style. Not the richest volume of flavor I've had in a doppelbock but it hits an accessible intro sort of flavor concentration for the style. The smokiness is a nice little flourish on the back end.

M. Only medium thickness with lighter-medium carbonation levels. Could stand to have some more carbonation action.

If it was just slightly amplified and better carbonated this one could have been amazing. (790 characters)

Large bottle, with an unusual cap attached to a metallic hinge, I have only seen a few like this.Dated spring 2007.Nice looking very dark brew, with multiple red overtones and a fluffy tan head that unfortunately has almost no rentention or lacing.Aroma is caramelized and alcoholic, powerful bourbon and oak notes.Taste is as expected, warmingly alcoholic, some sweetish caramel notes, perhaps a bit more alcohol than it should have, but still pleasant. (458 characters)

I have had this beer for the better part of a year, and decided that it was time to start moving some of this stock out. This is my next victim for the night...

Appearance: Pours a very dark garnet color that, when held to the light, looks like it is pretty clear. There was a 1/4" head of tan bubbles on top of the beer for the better part of a minute, and then they faded back into the beer.

Aroma: The aroma is a bit fruity for a Bock, but this could be due to the age and cellaring conditions that this beer has suffered...my closet isn't ideal. I get some oxidation that is coming out as some sherry notes. I get a darksweet molasses in the aroma as well...that is also a bit odd for a Bock.

Taste: The flavor is malty, but a good bit thin for this style. There is quite a bit of sweetness in this beer, and the hops are not really even noticeable. I get a whole lot of toffee and some melanoidins, along with a sweet molasses-like impression to linger on the palate long after the sip. As the beer warms up some, there is even more fruitiness that is coming out, that I am sure is the cellaring.

Opinion: Well, I am not sure what to say, really. I know that this beer has seen better days, and this is partially my fault. The mouthfeel and overall impression of the beer falls short of my expectations of a Bock...even when it is this old. I like a bit more resiny mouthfeel with less adjunct-tasting sweetness and more rich toasty notes from the malt. I'll finish the bottle, but I am glad that I don't have a whole bunch of this beer. (1,547 characters)

Classy lookin' black and gold bottle label that says 8% alcohol on there somewhere. Gold colored wax covering the bottlecap.Lookin good, both inside and outside the bottle. Pours nearly black in color, with a generous creamy tan head which leaves plenty of foam and lacing on the glass; the body of the brew is a deep brown or mahogany when held to strong, direct light.The odors are good, strong, and appropriate for a doppelbock. Rich, malty scents, sweetened bread scents, dark fruit scents... all of which advertise something deep and rich in flavor.Said flavor isn't quite as deep and rich as the scents would lead you to believe, but they are still pretty ballsy. Chocolate raisin bread is what comes to mind for me. Maybe a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Still reasonabley light for something with pretty strong flavors which bumps up the drinkability on this.This doesn't strike me as being very German, but this does strike me as a very good American rendition of a very German style. Plenty of tasty, roasted flavors; has a nice sweetness without it being cloying. Fans of the Baltic porter should take a look-see at this one.Good stuff. I look forward to other offerings from this brewery. (1,205 characters)

Picked this up in Minneapolis a while back - just got around to trying it. Nice deep brown body with a decent head. Shows excellent rentention. Aroma is all about the malt. I found myself just enjoying the aromas for a few minutes before taking even the first sip. Taste is again mostly malty caramel with a touch of alcohol warmth. Mouthfeel is solid, but not as rich as say a Celebrator or Optimator. Drinkability is good. I was unware this was a limited release. I should have bought a few more. How many beers have I said that for before.... (545 characters)

T -- Hmm... a mellow malt roastiness up front, reminiscent of Schwarzbier, black cherry characters follow, finishes with a very hot, peppery alcohol that's not terribly smooth. The alcohol dominates the aftertaste with a touch of fusil character. The roastiness mellows with the duration of the drink, but not the hot alcohol.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft and smooth, somewhat syrupy with warmth, with a medium-robust body and very dry finish.

O -- This beer is trying too hard to be in-your-face. The roasted malts and hot alcohol aren't to-style for a good Doppelbock; which ought to lull you into a sense of false security with mellow, sweet malt and smooth drinking -- before you discover the bar stool is too tall for your legs. This beer slaps you in the face from the first sip. I like many of Sprecher's beers, been a fan since the beginning, but this beer seems like a new home-brewer's take on Doppelbock -- throw everything into the pot and wait until it kicks you in the teeth. (1,473 characters)

Pours a lovely cola color with a minimal head that may be attributed to the glassware choice. I just can't fathom drinking a beer this big in a Pils glass. Sticky lacing is left on the glass, but it recedes down to the beer.

Taste is roasted malt giving way to a fig and date sweetness that presents a smallish chocolate flavor. Very sweet on the finish, almost cloyingly so. The sweetness can be forgiven though as this is a double bock and it's supposed to be a big beer. The 8.0 ABV is hidden well drowning in the toasted and sweet malt flavors that run rampant. Dusty yeast peeks it's head in and disappears almost instantly. Coffee and a small amount of char come in just to visit.

Mouthfeel is full and thick, almost oily. The carbonation is a little thin, maybe from the way it's bottled. The malt makes this one chewy and substantial, very nice.

This is a very good American Dopple. Very substantial and full of flavor. Worth looking for.

(edit after investigation) I just read the other reviews and I must say that this beer may have been chillin' out for AWHILE so, my review may be age biased, but I'm not sure. (1,271 characters)

Pour: 22oz bottle to tulip. Lays a thick one and a half inch active dark tan head that goes away quickly amid vigorous bubble activity. Body is dark brown with ruby edgings and no visible bubbles within. After head has subsided a flat cap of healthy foam remains.

Mouth: Unlike the smell, the mouth is full of roast malt flavors. The mouthfeel enters well but foams up a bit as it moves back and the swallow is weak. Excellent roasty after tastes that define the difference between burnt toast and a subtle roast. Some sweet flavors linger with fruity esters, and the after taste is extremely well balanced between the bitter roast flavors, the sweeter characters, and some peppery yeast qualities.

Good, but the mouthfeel really kills the drinkability of this one. (999 characters)

22oz brown bomber with wax seal. A PITA to open! Served in a small chalice.

A: very nice walnut brown color, clear but not transparent, nice medium tan head that dies off quickly.

S: roasted malts up front, with smokey sour notes in the background

T: malt up front with a pleasant tangy sourness, and a little sweetness. Flavor is reminiscent of unripe plums. Not sure if it was meant to be based on other reviewers. There was a little peaty smokiness in the background as well. Very complex profile, but not sure if it all worked together as well as it could.

M: nice medium body, rich silky feel but still spritzy on the tongue.

D: not bad, a peculiar dopple bock with too much character. A very memorable beer. (718 characters)

Pours a nice rich color exactly what you expect from a doppelbock. The nose is a sweet and malty smell, it's nice. The taste is a good sweet flavor with some nice malt. Overall it is a drinkable and nice beer. It's a standard doppelbock. (250 characters)

22oz bottle purchased at Bauer Wines. Glad to have another doppelbock on the shelf.

Not quite as malty as I would have liked - lacked the balance that many of the best doppelbocks have. the result was a beer that's alcohol presence was a bit too strong as the beer hit the back of the palate. Dark fruits dominate the taste - no real hop bitterness or sweetness.

I think the result is a fairly one dimensional brew. Not bad, by any means, but certainly not one of the greats. (482 characters)

This poured so easily with a minimal amount of head that I nearly filled my 50 CL glass with it. It's deep brown to black coloring was comforting to my wife as she really likes malty beers and we were standing around in the kitchen while baking a salmon steaks. I could almost taste it just by looking at it.

The first taste was as fine as the last with the pronounced malty character upfront and personal amid a few dark fruit and caramel flavors. The mouth feel and taste left me begging for more like some....I shouldn't mention that here...

I think this could only be outdone with a tap or even a cask serving. (620 characters)